WHISTLES buying and merchandising project | Page 32

P E S T

A N A LY S I S

POLITICAL
Signing trade agreements with China
As the Chinese currency, Yuang is becoming more globally used, and even the British government is promoting the buying London and circulation of the Yuang (reference please). The British government is continuing to sign contracts with the Chinese government. This action will bring benefits to Whistles. Since its
main suppliers are in China, the trade them between will become smoother.
ENVIRONMENT
Weather
Due to the fact that, global weather is unstable, some weather conditions have become extreme and unpredictable. According to this, it is harder for Whistles to accurately decide on the date to release products
during the seasons.
Currency
The currency of China is in decline at present, and it is the main supplier of jackets for Whistles. Whistles
could benefit from the exchange rate profit as the value of the Chinese Yuang drops. This situation is allowing the buyers from Whistles to purchase garments at a lower price. In other words, Whistles’ costs can be
directly reduced if the Yuang remains weak.
Fuel cost
Whistles’ suppliers are mostly located far from the UK. Thus, the shipping fee is a large amount for Whistles. As the fuel market remains competitive, fuel companies are lowering the fuel prices. Whistles can save
some of the money from shipping.
SOCIAL
Agenda
From the author’s observations, it appears that at present, women are stepping up in society. In can be argued that nowadays, the payment of men and women is more equal Due to this, the gender gap is closing.
The thought of unisex is a growing idea globally. In this respect, it seems that Whistles is moving in the right
direction. By cooperating with Stutterheim, Whistles launched the unisex collection last year.
Muti-Culture
As more immigrants are moving into Europe, and due to the transparency on internet, Europe is becoming
increasingly multi-cultural. There might be an opportunity for Whistles to launch more multi-ethnic fashion
products to reach some of its target immigrant customers.
TECHNOLOGICAL
Smart clothing
3D printing techniques has been improving. There might be possibilities for people to print their own clothes
in the future. This might be a threat to Whistles as people can design and produce their own clothes, the
demand for purchasing clothes may possibily decrease. In other words, Whistles might lose customers.
Application shopping
Many brands like Reiss have developed their own Android and iPhone app for its customer to shop on. This
brings customers convenience, and helps to develop a close relationship with its customers. There is a
opportunity for Whistles to develop its own shopping app for its customers.

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